Dimitris Michopoulos who writes for Euro2day.gr’s Annual Edition Turning Points and The New York Times discusses how for an organization or product, and the term “love brand” now allude to responsibility, accountability and empathy.

There is nothing new in the opinion that the pandemic drastically changed important areas of our daily lives, creating, and in some cases accelerating new habits and realities, from hybrid communication, new uses in technology through to the introduction of concepts such as the metaverse.

Therefore, what could be deemed as original -due to its intensity, speed of dissemination, even innovation- due to the modern means being called upon to achieve it- is the fact that the communication that organizations and brands need to use is more directly and strongly linked to their own reputation than before.

Communication -and marketing itself- from an age characterized by creative thinking is entering a new era requiring creation through utilizing wisdom, knowledge, evaluation and thought creativity. How brands communicate is not only evaluated by their quantitative and qualitative metrics, but by the extent to which they now inspire “responsibility” and “empathy”.

For some years now, there has been a tendency for consumers to directly associate themselves with the reputation of a product or service. Today, however, what we now generally define as “responsible operation” is changing.

What does this actually mean in practice? The spreading of  -true or not- news can cause a significant change in a brand’s reputation, market acceptance, popularity and sales, if that brand -and of course the organization that produces it- is not reliably and inextricably linked with reflecting “responsibility” and “empathy” towards all of its audiences, be they employees, partners, suppliers, consumers or  shareholders.

So what can each organization do for its corporate or product brand? The answer: To “self-educate” both at leadership and employee levels. To maximize the degrees of “responsibility” and “empathy” at all levels of corporate operation, strategic communication and marketing.

Up until a few years ago, creative thinking was often sufficient to appeal to a predetermined age or demographic audience. Today, a strategic approach based on the principle of thought creativity is now required, an approach based on constantly proving why an organization and its products possess a certain type of accountability sought by consumers from specific audiences/profiles.

The key for an organization or brand therefore depends on its perceived reputation, essence and purpose. The belief of every interested party that the company or brand that they have placed their trust in, operates responsibly towards everyone and cares for everyone. This is the factor that will define the love brands of this decade. Only in this case, “love” will not reflect the “lovable” portrayed through a creative approach. A “love brand” will be defined as a valid, clear, safe, reliable and “visionary” product that we allow to enter our lives and know a part of -if not every aspect of it.

So how does one go about creating and cultivating a brand with a “responsible” and “empathetic” profile? How does communication and marketing steer a brand into people’s hearts? The question has already begun to be answered by life itself in many modern societies around the world. Successful brands consistently and effectively serve at least one important social purpose. And, apparently, the leaders behind them are also strongly arguing for it.

The era of communicative neutrality and detachment is long gone. The planet needs brands with a strong point of view, a view that is “heard”, listened to. The benefit of this type of communication is that it serves as the most effective shield against any type of event, large or small, that has the capacity to damage an organization or brand’s reputation and credibility. In the near future, we will only choose love brands that answer our own sensitivities and concerns.

Brands, therefore, will become love brands if -and only if- they express opinions and provide answers to the problems that politicians, technocrats, religious leaders or their competition just can’t. “Love” will no longer concern “sweet”, apolitical products that reflect the superficial facets of everyday life as the reality is that the facts and reality of everyday life are obviously changing.

Therefore the “love brand”, the brand in general, will become a life choice. It will reflect what we really love and what is important to us. It will be a conscious choice of our character, which in our view will serve an important purpose.

Until recently, products or product categories were aimed at consumers with a specific profile,  evident in organic products department in supermarkets for example. Now, successful brands will have to steadily, methodically and effectively serve at least one important social purpose and will appeal to everyone.

Communication and marketing are therefore being called upon to adapt, using technology as a weapon and a “thought creativity strategy”, which will be implemented at all of the brand’s points of contact with the consumer. And the question is not whether they will succeed: They most definitely will. The question is who, amongst us, will understand these changes, who will make use of the modern methods at our disposal and, above all, who will adapt effectively to the new reality. In any case -and fortunately- people will apparently not stop communicating from the heart. We will not stop loving and being sensitized. We may even love more consciously as we search for practical and everyday brands with substance and content. Our job therefore is to lead them in this new direction.

Published on EURO2DAY & NEW YORK TIMES